A wireless communication technology for performing exchange of information utilizing wireless communication has been available. For example, a communication method for performing exchange of information between different information processing apparatus utilizing a wireless local area network (LAN) has been proposed. Further, as apparatus that perform exchange of information utilizing wireless communication, mobile bodies such as a portable telephone set and a smartphone are available.
Such mobile bodies frequently have a battery as a power supply. Therefore, the mobile bodies are limited in operating time. Thus, technologies for reducing power consumption have been proposed in order to extend the operating time.
For example, a technology for reducing, when a mobile body need not perform communication, the power consumption by entering a power saving state in which transmission and reception of a signal are not performed and the power consumption is low has been proposed. For example, in Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 that is a standard specification for a wireless LAN that is spread widely, a protocol for notifying a master unit that a slave unit enters a power saving state is defined. Here, it has been assumed that the master unit is linked to a fixed power supply. However, in recent years, a mobile body that is driven by a battery sometimes has a function of a base station. Therefore, a technology for reducing the power consumption by causing a base station to enter a power saving state is important.
As a technology for making it possible for a base station to enter a power saving state, a standard for allowing different Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi)-incorporating apparatus to be directly connected to each other by wireless connection without by way of a router has been proposed (for example, refer to NPL 1). This standard is a standard prescribed by Wi-Fi Alliance.
In this standard, protocols for allowing a wireless apparatus (group owner (GO)) that plays a role of a base station to enter a power saving state are defined. As one of such protocols, a protocol called notice of absence (NoA) is defined. This NoA indicates a procedure for notifying a slave unit of a period within which a GO is to enter a power saving state in advance using a Beacon or the like.
Further, for example, a method is proposed by which a terminal different from a terminal that is in a power saving state has a function as a proxy for temporarily retaining data destined for the terminal that is in a power saving state such that the data is prevented from being discarded (for example, refer to PTL 1). According to this method, if the terminal having the function as a proxy confirms data destined for the terminal that is in a power saving state on a network, then it decides whether or not the data is to be retained. Further, the terminal having the function as a proxy decides whether or not a signal for cancelling the power saving state is to be transmitted to the terminal that is in a power saving state. Then, if the data is retained, then when the terminal that is in a power saving state cancels the power saving state, the retained data is transmitted to the terminal. Consequently, the data destined for the terminal having been in a power saving state is sent correctly without being discarded.